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| Pro-Russia Ukrainians Are Promised More Power, but Remain Dubious | Pro-Russia Ukrainians Are Promised More Power, but Remain Dubious |
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| DONETSK, Ukraine — Ukraine’s acting prime minister on Friday abandoned threats to forcibly evict pro-Russian demonstrators from government buildings, and assured political and business leaders in the country’s rebellious east that they would get more power to run their own affairs. | |
| But the pledge, by Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the head of a new central government in Kiev installed after the Feb. 21 flight of President Viktor F. Yanukovych, drew a dismissive response from protesters as a deadline set by the government to relinquish the occupied regional administration building here passed with no sign of an end to a volatile standoff, which began Sunday when protesters seized the building and declared the establishment of a People’s Republic of Donetsk. | But the pledge, by Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the head of a new central government in Kiev installed after the Feb. 21 flight of President Viktor F. Yanukovych, drew a dismissive response from protesters as a deadline set by the government to relinquish the occupied regional administration building here passed with no sign of an end to a volatile standoff, which began Sunday when protesters seized the building and declared the establishment of a People’s Republic of Donetsk. |
| In a televised statement broadcast to a small and mostly elderly crowd outside the occupied building, Ekaterina Gubareva, the newly appointed “foreign minister” of the universally unrecognized Donetsk republic, denounced Mr. Yatsenyuk’s government as a “junta” and repeated demands for a referendum to let residents decide whether they want to secede and join Russia. | In a televised statement broadcast to a small and mostly elderly crowd outside the occupied building, Ekaterina Gubareva, the newly appointed “foreign minister” of the universally unrecognized Donetsk republic, denounced Mr. Yatsenyuk’s government as a “junta” and repeated demands for a referendum to let residents decide whether they want to secede and join Russia. |
| With the Kremlin and the West still in deep disagreement over how to resolve not just the unrest in the east but the broader political crisis in Ukraine, officials said that four-way talks, involving the United States, Russia, the European Union and the new Ukrainian government, would be held in Geneva on Thursday. | With the Kremlin and the West still in deep disagreement over how to resolve not just the unrest in the east but the broader political crisis in Ukraine, officials said that four-way talks, involving the United States, Russia, the European Union and the new Ukrainian government, would be held in Geneva on Thursday. |
| In Washington, the Obama administration blacklisted six separatist leaders in Crimea, a former Ukrainian official and a gas company based in Crimea for their roles in splitting off Crimea from Ukraine. They include Pyotr Zima, who headed the state security bureau in Crimea, and Sergey Tsekov, the former vice speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament, who helped facilitate the referendum that led to the annexation. | In Washington, the Obama administration blacklisted six separatist leaders in Crimea, a former Ukrainian official and a gas company based in Crimea for their roles in splitting off Crimea from Ukraine. They include Pyotr Zima, who headed the state security bureau in Crimea, and Sergey Tsekov, the former vice speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament, who helped facilitate the referendum that led to the annexation. |
| “We will continue to impose costs on those involved in ongoing violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the Treasury Department’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, David S. Cohen. The orders freeze any of the individuals’ assets held in the United States and prohibit them from conducting business there or with American citizens or entities. | “We will continue to impose costs on those involved in ongoing violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the Treasury Department’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, David S. Cohen. The orders freeze any of the individuals’ assets held in the United States and prohibit them from conducting business there or with American citizens or entities. |
| Undeterred by that action, the Crimean legislature rushed to approve a new constitution Friday, binding the region even more closely to Russia in the wake of its annexation by Moscow last month. The new constitution states that Crimea is “an integral part” of the Russian Federation. | Undeterred by that action, the Crimean legislature rushed to approve a new constitution Friday, binding the region even more closely to Russia in the wake of its annexation by Moscow last month. The new constitution states that Crimea is “an integral part” of the Russian Federation. |
| “Step by step we have led Crimeans to realize their dream of returning home to Russia,” Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov told the assembly, according to local news reports. Of the 100-member assembly, 87 members present voted for the measure, the reports said, with no opposition. The vote brought strong protests from Crimea’s Tatar minority, who said the new constitution all but ignored the promises they had been given about preserving minority rights. | “Step by step we have led Crimeans to realize their dream of returning home to Russia,” Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov told the assembly, according to local news reports. Of the 100-member assembly, 87 members present voted for the measure, the reports said, with no opposition. The vote brought strong protests from Crimea’s Tatar minority, who said the new constitution all but ignored the promises they had been given about preserving minority rights. |
| Despite the Ukrainian leaders’ pledge to resolve the Donetsk standoff peacefully, Oleg Tsarov, a Russian-speaking candidate for the Ukrainian presidency, and one of a handful of mainstream politicians who support the unruly Donetsk protesters, said at a news conference that he had information of an imminent “frontal assault” by government forces on the occupied building. He declined to specify how he knew this, but said Mr. Yatsenyuk’s disavowal of a forceful solution during his visit to Donetsk “only strengthened” his view that an attack was likely. | Despite the Ukrainian leaders’ pledge to resolve the Donetsk standoff peacefully, Oleg Tsarov, a Russian-speaking candidate for the Ukrainian presidency, and one of a handful of mainstream politicians who support the unruly Donetsk protesters, said at a news conference that he had information of an imminent “frontal assault” by government forces on the occupied building. He declined to specify how he knew this, but said Mr. Yatsenyuk’s disavowal of a forceful solution during his visit to Donetsk “only strengthened” his view that an attack was likely. |
| The United States and its allies worry that Russia might use the unrest in Donetsk and other eastern cities — which Ukrainian authorities believe has been instigated and financed by Moscow — as a pretext for a military intervention to “protect” Russian-speaking residents. | The United States and its allies worry that Russia might use the unrest in Donetsk and other eastern cities — which Ukrainian authorities believe has been instigated and financed by Moscow — as a pretext for a military intervention to “protect” Russian-speaking residents. |
| Russia has denied any plans for an invasion, and many analysts believe its principal goal is not to grab territory but to keep the shaky new Ukrainian government off balance and to make sure it shuns any security partnership with the West. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei V. Lavrov, on Friday demanded legal guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality, a position that would close the door to Ukraine cooperating with NATO or trying to join it. | Russia has denied any plans for an invasion, and many analysts believe its principal goal is not to grab territory but to keep the shaky new Ukrainian government off balance and to make sure it shuns any security partnership with the West. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei V. Lavrov, on Friday demanded legal guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality, a position that would close the door to Ukraine cooperating with NATO or trying to join it. |
| In a sign of how closely the Donetsk protesters are acting in concert with Russian interests, anti-NATO chants have now become a regular element of their round-the-clock rallies, superseding earlier chants against the “fascists” who they claim grabbed power in Kiev. | In a sign of how closely the Donetsk protesters are acting in concert with Russian interests, anti-NATO chants have now become a regular element of their round-the-clock rallies, superseding earlier chants against the “fascists” who they claim grabbed power in Kiev. |
| Inside the building, masked young men with clubs and iron rods patrolled the corridors hunting for alleged “provocateurs” and “spies” while the fractious leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic tried to figure out what to do next in the 11th-floor offices of the ejected regional governor, a billionaire metals tycoon, Sergey A. Taruta. | Inside the building, masked young men with clubs and iron rods patrolled the corridors hunting for alleged “provocateurs” and “spies” while the fractious leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic tried to figure out what to do next in the 11th-floor offices of the ejected regional governor, a billionaire metals tycoon, Sergey A. Taruta. |
| Ukraine’s interior minister, Arsen Avakov, warned Wednesday that protesters in Donetsk and two other eastern cities had 48 hours to resolve their differences with the authorities through negotiation or be forced to give up occupied government buildings. But the government now seems to have scrapped this ultimatum, with Mr. Yatsenyuk declaring on Friday that he was “against forceful scenarios,” but added, “everything has a limit.” | Ukraine’s interior minister, Arsen Avakov, warned Wednesday that protesters in Donetsk and two other eastern cities had 48 hours to resolve their differences with the authorities through negotiation or be forced to give up occupied government buildings. But the government now seems to have scrapped this ultimatum, with Mr. Yatsenyuk declaring on Friday that he was “against forceful scenarios,” but added, “everything has a limit.” |
| With intermittent fears of an assault by troops loyal to the government in Kiev, protesters huddled around fires, vowing to stand firm but seeming uncertain about where to go from here. Many voiced disappointment that their pro-Russia cause had not yet galvanized widespread public support. | With intermittent fears of an assault by troops loyal to the government in Kiev, protesters huddled around fires, vowing to stand firm but seeming uncertain about where to go from here. Many voiced disappointment that their pro-Russia cause had not yet galvanized widespread public support. |
| Mr. Yatsenyuk, speaking in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian, a language rarely used in Donetsk, promised that his government would give regions more power to manage their own finances, choose their own leaders and govern their own affairs. Regional governors are currently appointed by the president in Kiev. | Mr. Yatsenyuk, speaking in a mix of Russian and Ukrainian, a language rarely used in Donetsk, promised that his government would give regions more power to manage their own finances, choose their own leaders and govern their own affairs. Regional governors are currently appointed by the president in Kiev. |
| At a meeting on Friday with the prime minister, the mayor of Kharkiv, Hennadiy Kernes, a former ally of Mr. Yanukovych, presented a long list of complaints, including rising fuel prices, he said had stirred anger in the east. | At a meeting on Friday with the prime minister, the mayor of Kharkiv, Hennadiy Kernes, a former ally of Mr. Yanukovych, presented a long list of complaints, including rising fuel prices, he said had stirred anger in the east. |
| Addressing another source of friction with Moscow, Ukraine’s acting energy minister suggested on Friday he will not pay the elevated prices for natural gas that Russia has been demanding in recent weeks, and instead plans to contest the basis for the price increase inat an arbitration court in Stockholm. | Addressing another source of friction with Moscow, Ukraine’s acting energy minister suggested on Friday he will not pay the elevated prices for natural gas that Russia has been demanding in recent weeks, and instead plans to contest the basis for the price increase inat an arbitration court in Stockholm. |